january 2012 newsletter - aaba of houston · january 2012 newsletter the asian american bar...
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JANUARY 2012 NEWSLETTER www.aabahouston.com
The Asian American Bar Association (AABA) of Houston is a voluntary organization of lawyers of Asian heritage or who have Asian
American interests, dedicated to promoting diversity within the legal profession and Houston community.
2012 OFFICERS Daniel H. Chen
President
Nguyen Jazrawi & Chen PLLC
Alice C. Huang
President‐Elect
Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP
David Hsu Brogden
Vice President of Community Relations
Law Office of David S. Hsu PC
Sharon Yin
Vice President of Development
Lam, Lyn & Philip PC
Cindy Lin
Vice President of Membership
Andrews Kurth LLP
Eunice Song
Vice President of Programs
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP
Mai Huynh
Secretary
Texas United Corporation
Jane Nguyen Vuong
Treasurer
Nguyen Jazrawi & Chen PLLC
DIRECTORS Audrey Chang, Chair
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Todd E. Chen
Winstead PC
Helene Dang
FosterQuan LLP
Vinh Ho
Boat People SOS
Jenny Hyun
Weingarten Realty Investors
Judy Y. Liu
CenterPoint Energy Service Company LLC
Kenneth S. Soh
Lanier Law Firm
Joyce Kao Soliman
Porter Hedges LLP
Catherine Than
Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP
Joseph T. Tung
Law Office of Joseph Tung
AABA Officers & Committees Retreat
On Saturday, January 14, 2012, the Officers, Committee Chairs, and Directors of the AABA met at the Chinese Community Center and held their annual retreat and planning meeting for the 2012 year. During the meeting, Judy Liu, Jenny Hyun, and Helene Dang were each appointed by majority vote of the Officers to serve two for years on the Board of Directors. Congratulations to Audrey Chang who was voted the new Chairperson of the Board. Special thanks to Porter Hedges LLP for sponsoring this important meeting!
Cindy Lin, Eunice Song, and Carmen Ng
Daniel Chen and Albert Liou
2012
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Social Committee
Chris Lee
Targa Resources Corporation
Susan Tran
CTS Law Firm
Mentorship and Law School Relations
Committee
Juvie Cruz
Pagel, Davis & Hill, P.C.
Jennifer Fung
Attorney at Law
Gala Committee
Janine Yee
Porter & Hedges LLP
Claire C. Le
Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
Kei Ashizawa
Kilburn Law Firm PLLC
Corporate Counsel Committee
Albert Liou
Jones Day
Carmen Ng
Sysco Corporation
Daniel Zhang
Law Office of Harry Gee, Jr. & Associates
Jennifer Lin
Attorney at Law
Solo & Small Firm Committee
Clinton Yu
Givens & Johnston PLLC
Brendon Singh
CTS Law Firm
Kellie Pai
Liu & Associates PLLC
Nominations Committee
Alice C. Huang, Chair
Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP
AABA Officers & Committee Retreat
Clinton Yu, Kellie Pai, and Brendon Singh
Eunice Song, Claire Le, Jennifer Fung, and Jane Nguyen Vuong
Lunar New Year Celebration with
On January 19, 2012, AABA celebrated the Year of the Dragon with Yellow Magazine at Momentum BMW Southwest. Along with Yellow Magazine, the event was co-hosted by the AABA, Asia Society Young Professionals, Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Hope Initiative, KASH, Filipino Young Professionals, and Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce.
AABA ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING
AND KICKOFF DINNER
The AABA is pleased to invite you to its 2012 Annual Members Meeting and Kickoff Dinner!
Learn more about the organization and the exciting programs
for this year, share your ideas for how the AABA can better serve you, and meet your AABA officers, board members,
committee co-chairs, and fellow members.
WHERE:
Kim Son Restaurant 2001 Jefferson Street Houston, TX 77003
Telephone: (713)222.2461 http://www.kimson.com
WHEN:
Thursday, January 26, 2012
6:00 - 6:30 PM: Check-In / Reception 6:30 - 6:45 PM: Annual Membership Meeting
6:45 - 8:30 PM: Dinner served
REGISTRATION:
Please RSVP on the AABA Website at www.aabahouston.com The Annual Members Meeting is free.
The cost for Dinner is $15 for AABA Members, and $35 for Non-Members.
We hope to see you there!
The AABA wishes you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
Law Day Poster Workshop
In recognition of Law Day, the AABA is sponsoring a Poster Workshop with the Houston Bar Association to create posters for entry into the HBA Poster Contest. We hope that the workshop will allow students to recognize the importance of law in our society. The theme for this year is “No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom.” The posters should depict the importance of our court system and how the courts preserve justice and freedom.
Grade Levels: K‐8th grades may participate
Posters, drawing supplies, food, and drinks will be provided. Completed posters will be submitted to the HBA courtesy of the AABA for entry into the official Poster Contest.
The Poster Contest will award all prizes in two categories: K‐3rd grade and 4th‐8th grade First Place Winners ‐ $150.00 each Second Place Winners ‐ $ 100.00 each Third Place Winners ‐ $ 50.00 each 2 Honorable Mentions ‐ $ 25.00 each Teacher of First Place Winners ‐ $ 100.00 each Courtesy of the Pratz Simmons Group at UBS
RSVPs for the Poster Workshop are encouraged at www.aabahouston.com via the Law Week Asian Outreach Poster Workshop link, but walk‐ins are also welcome.
For questions about this event, please contact Daniel Chen at [email protected] or Alice Huang at [email protected].
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2012
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Place: Chinese Community Center
9800 Town Park
Houston, Texas 77036
Speaker: The Honorable Jay Karahan
Job Opportunity
Corporate Associate
Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody seeks a corporate associate with two‐to‐
five years experience and an emphasis on general corporate, M&A, private
equity and commercial transactions. Excellent academic credentials, analytical
skills and verbal and written communication skills required. The firm offers a
collegial environment with competitive compensation and benefits. Qualified
candidates should send a cover letter and résumé in confidence via email to
[email protected] or by mail to Diane Dettmann, PHR, Director of Human
Resources, P.O. Box 98, Austin, TX 78767‐0098.
Please visit www.gdhm.com to learn more about Graves Dougherty Hearon &
Moody, P.C.
2012 AABA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
and CAREER NIGHT
AABA is seeking Mentors and Mentees for its 2012 Mentorship Program!
Please submit your applications by Friday, February 24, 2012.
A Career Night and Mentorship Program Kickoff will be held on
Thursday, March 1, 2012 beginning at 6:30 P.M. at South Texas College of Law.
The Career Panel will begin at 7:30 P.M.
All AABA members, friends, supporters, mentees and mentors are invited and
encouraged to attend.
If you would like to publicize job opportunities, community news, or personal SIDEBAR news, please contact
AABA Secretary, Mai Huynh, at [email protected].
Asian American Bar Association of Houston www.aabahouston.com P.O. Box 1554 • Houston, Texas 77251
MENTOR APPLICATION – AABA 2012 Mentorship Program
The goal of the AABA Mentorship Program is to assist law students and new attorneys better define their legal path through the sharing of an experienced attorney’s wisdom, experiences, and knowledge about the practice of law. In order to maximize the benefits of this program, Mentees and Mentors will be matched as closely as possible according to their areas of interest and practice, respectively. Mentors and Mentees are encouraged to schedule a meeting once per month to 6 weeks and to remain in contact with each other on a regular basis throughout the year. Eligibility: Attorneys with 2 or more years of legal experience are eligible to apply to be a Mentor. If you would
like to participate in this program, please complete the form below.
The deadline to apply is February 24, 2012.
Name Employer Employer Address City State Zip Phone # Fax # E-mail State Bar Number Law School Year of Graduation Year(s) in Practice Practice Area(s) Your Goals & Expectations from the Mentorship Program
Please mail, fax or e-mail your completed form to:
Juvie A. Cruz Pagel, Davis & Hill, P.C.
1415 Louisiana, 22nd Floor Tel: (713) 951-0160 Fax: (713) 951-0662
E-mail: [email protected]
Asian American Bar Association of Houston www.aabahouston.com P.O. Box 1554 • Houston, Texas 77251
MENTEE APPLICATION – AABA 2012 Mentorship Program
The goal of the AABA Mentorship Program is to assist law students and new attorneys better define their legal path through the sharing of an experienced attorney’s wisdom, experiences, and knowledge about the practice of law. In order to maximize the benefits of this program, Mentees and Mentors will be matched as closely as possible according to their areas of interest and practice, respectively. Mentors and Mentees are encouraged to schedule a meeting once per month to 6 weeks and to remain in contact with each other on a regular basis throughout the year. Eligibility: Law students and attorneys with up to 2 years of legal experience are eligible to apply to be
a Mentee. If you would like to participate in this program, please complete the form below. Please note: Matches will be subject to availability.
The deadline to apply is February 24, 2012.
Name Employer (for Attorneys) Home/Business Address City State Zip Phone # E-mail State Bar Number (Attorneys) Law School Year of Graduation or Current Law School Year Year(s) in Practice (for Attorneys) Practice Area(s) of Interest Your Goals & Expectations from the Mentorship Program
Please mail or e-mail your completed form to:
Juvie A. Cruz Pagel, Davis & Hill, P.C.
1415 Louisiana, 22nd Floor Tel: (713) 951-0160
E-mail: [email protected]
SAVE THE DATE!
Join us for a Legal Round-Up
NCVAA 2012 Houston, Texas, May 18 -19, 2012
The National Conference for Vietnamese American Attorneys 2012 (“NCVAA”) is pleased to announce that this year’s conference will be held May 18-19, 2012 in Houston, Texas. On behalf of the conference committee, we ask for your support. This year’s conference, based on the theme “Legal Round-Up,” marks the sixth occasion Vietnamese American attorneys from all over the nation will convene to discuss issues and experiences of interest to the Vietnamese legal community. This is the first time the NCVAA will be held in Texas. The Houston Conference Committee is thrilled to show southern hospitality to our colleagues and friends. The conference will commence with a Welcome Reception on the evening of May 18. The full-day conference will take place on May 19 at Norris Conference Centers, City Centre, 803 Town and Country Blvd., Suite 210, Houston, Texas 77024 and will feature a series of esteemed speakers and panelists. A block of rooms are on hold on a limited basis with Hotel Sorella, 800 Sorella Court, Houston, Texas 77024, which is immediately adjacent to the Norris Conference Center, for conference attendees and guests. The conference will conclude with a Banquet Dinner at Fung’s Kitchen, 7320 Southwest Freeway, Suite 115, Houston, Texas 77074, and two local law students will be presented with scholarships in recognition of their commitment to the Vietnamese American community. This event provides opportunities to network with prominent judges, attorneys, government officials, and scholars. To learn more about NCVAA, please visit our website at www.ncvaa.org. We hope you will support NCVAA 2012 and join us for the reception, conference, and/or dinner. The levels of sponsorship are attached for your review. A member of NCVAA will be contacting you in the near future to discuss your potential sponsorship. For your convenience, we have also included a Save the Date and the Conference Registration Package information. We are very excited about this event, and hope to count on your generous support. If you would like to be included on the NCVAA ListServ, please e-mail Catherine Than at [email protected] with your contact information.
1570 The Alameda, Suite 212, San Jose, California 95126 • Telephone: 408-975-9321 • Fax: 408-975-9654 • Email: [email protected]
Executive Board
Mai Dinh Phan, President San Jose, California
Tita Nguyen, President Elect Los Angeles, California
Caroline Nguyen, Vice President Washington, D.C.
Minh Nguyen, Secretary Atlanta, Georgia
Duy Thai, Treasurer San Francisco, California
Board of Governors
Huyen-Lam Q. Nguyen-Bull Seattle, Washington
Jessica Nguyen Seattle, Washington
Mai-Anh Nguyen San Francisco, California
Phong Nguyen Washington, D.C.
Teri Pham Los Angeles, California
Catherine Than Houston, Texas
Dominique N. Thieu Fountain Valley, California
Nguyen Vu Washington, D.C.
Conference Committee
Tita Nguyen, Co-Chair Los Angeles, California
Catherine Than, Co-Chair Houston, Texas
Mai Dinh Phan, Program Chair San Jose, California
Vinh Ho Houston, Texas
Thao La Dallas, Texas
Jason Luong Houston, Texas
Kim Nguyen Orlando, Florida
Linhuyen Pham Houston, Texas
Elizabeth Referente Houston, Texas
Duy Thai San Francisco, California
Elizabeth Tran Houston, Texas
Hoang Quan Vu Houston, Texas
Nguyen Vu Washington, D.C.
2012 SPONSORSHIP REGISTRATION FORM Law Firm/Corporation/Org. :______________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________
City, State and Zip: _____________________________________________________________________________
Name of Contact Person: _________________________________________________________________________
Phone: (_____)_____________ Fax: (_____)_____________ E-Mail Address: ________________________
YES, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS EVENT!
Presenting Sponsor $5,000
• Recognized at Opening Breakfast and Banquet • Name recognition on website, conference materials, and dinner program • Exclusive opportunity for remarks on stage at conference or dinner; booth space and/or product displays; and radio and media exposure • Signage rights and full cover page ad on conference materials and dinner program • 10 Tickets to Welcome Reception; 5 Tickets to Conference; 10 Tickets (one table) to Banquet
Platinum Sponsor $2,500
• Recognized at Opening Breakfast and Banquet • Name recognition on website, conference materials, and dinner program • Full page ad in conference materials and dinner program • 6 Tickets to Welcome Reception; 2 Tickets to Conference; 6 Tickets to Banquet
Gold
Sponsor $1,500
• Recognized at Opening Breakfast and Banquet • Name recognition on website, conference materials, and dinner program • Half page ad in conference materials and dinner program • 4 Tickets to Welcome Reception; 2 Tickets to Conference; 4 Tickets to Banquet
Silver
Sponsor $1,000
• Recognized at Opening Breakfast and Banquet • Name recognition on website, conference materials, and dinner program • Quarter page ad in conference materials and dinner program • 2 Tickets to Welcome Reception; 2 Tickets to Conference; 2 Tickets to Banquet
Bronze Sponsor
$500
• Recognized at Opening Breakfast and Banquet • Name recognition on website, conference materials, and dinner program • 1 Ticket to Welcome Reception; 1 Ticket to Conference; 2 Tickets to Banquet
Friendship Sponsor $1,000 • 10 Tickets (one table) to Banquet
• Recognized at Banquet
Dinner Sponsor $500 • 5 Tickets to Banquet
• Recognized at Banquet
PLEASE CHECK ONE:
A check is enclosed for: $________. A check for $ will be mailed by _______ [date].
We cannot commit as a sponsor at this time, but we'd like to enclose a donation for: $ . Please make checks payable to: "NCVAA" and mail to: NCVAA, c/o Duy Thai, 351 California St., Suite 550, San Francisco, CA 94104. Our Federal Tax ID # is 27-3630527. Reservations held at the door; tickets will not be mailed. For more information, please contact Catherine Than, (713) 395-1681/[email protected] Please visit www.ncvaa.org for the Program Schedule and Ad submission requirements and instructions.
1570 The Alameda, Suite 212, San Jose, California 95126 • Telephone: 408-975-9321 • Fax: 408-975-9654 • Email: [email protected]
INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES General Government; Nonprofit; Students
Early Registration Package (by March 30, 2012) (1 ticket to Welcome Reception, Conference, and Banquet)
$225 $175
Regular Registration Package (after March 30, 2012) (1 ticket to Welcome Reception, Conference, and Banquet)
$285 $225
Individual Tickets Welcome Reception (Friday, May 18, 2012) $50 $40 Conference (Saturday, May 19, 2012) $200 $150 Banquet (stand alone ticket) $75 $60 Banquet (companion ticket for Package
Registrant) $60 $60
Houston Bar Association 1001 Fannin, Suite 1300 Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 713-759-1133 Fax: 713-759-1710
Law Day Readings 2012 Volunteer Form
Members of the Houston Bar Association will read to students in 100 elementary schools in the Houston area in honor of Law Day (May 1), from April 23 to May 18, 2012. The book that our lawyers and judges will read is The Cupcake Thief by Ellen Jackson for grades K-2. At the end of the reading, the book will be presented to the school library as a gift from the Houston Bar Association.
If you would like to be a part of this event by volunteering to read, please fax this form to 713-759-1710 (no cover sheet required). If you have any questions feel free to contact Claire Nelson at [email protected] or 713-759-1133. You can also email this form to [email protected].
ATTORNEY’S NAME:
FIRM OR ORGANIZATION:
PHONE NUMBER(S):
MAILING ADDRESS:
FAX NUMBER:
CITY, STATE, ZIP:
E-MAIL:
Please let us know if you are willing to read more than once during the 4 week period (2 schools). Please do not request specific schools, as we only read to the 100 schools that sign up. These schools are located all across the Harris County area in 20+ school districts. Thank you for
your flexibility. We are always in need of volunteer readers, please spread the word.
Help Outfit a Foster Teen for Prom!
Donate your gently-used, dry-cleaned formals, bridesmaids dresses or other evening wear suitable for high school proms to the Houston Alumni and Youth (HAY) Center. High school students in foster care often have a difficult time getting clothes for their proms, and the HBA's HAY Center Committee is trying to help by collecting clothing that will allow high school students in foster care to "shop" for an outfit for their prom.
Please drop off items you would like to donate by March 23 at:
HAY Center 1906 Cochran St. (entrance on Gano St.) Houston, TX 77009
or
Houston Bar Association 1001 Fannin Street, Loading dock on San Jacinto Houston, TX 77002
If you have questions, contact Bonnie Simmons at the HBA, 713-759-1133 or [email protected].
Other items needed are personal grooming items for gift baskets, shoes, handbags, gift cards to major chain restaurants, jewelry, hair accessories or gift cards for tuxedo rentals.
Get to Know An AABA MEMBER!
Name: Susan Tran
Firm: CTS Law Firm & Law Offices of
Donna Roth
Practice Areas: Bankruptcy and business
law
If I weren’t an attorney, I would be . . . a dentist.
The oddest food I have ever eaten has been . . . the KFC double‐down.
In my spare time, I enjoy . . . knitting and cooking.
If my life were a movie, it would be called . . . Dog Hoarders.
In my opinion, the best restaurant in Houston is . . . Banana Leaf, the sizzling tofu is
delicious!
The coolest store in Houston is . . . Anthropologie.
The sports team(s) I root for is/are . . . Ohio State.
My decade for music is the 00’s and my favorite song is . . . “I Will Follow You into the
Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie.
My favorite quote is . . . “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.” –Brillat‐
Savarin.
Most AABA members probably don’t know that I . . . aspire to own my brewpub.
You forgot to ask me about . . . why I decided to become a lawyer!
Get to Know An AABA MEMBER!
Name: Brendon Singh
Firm: CTS Law Firm
Practice Areas: Bankruptcy and business
law
If I weren’t an attorney, I would be . . . a NASCAR engine builder.
The oddest food I have ever eaten has been . . . Armadillo in Mustard Sauce.
In my spare time, I enjoy . . . watching DVR and going shooting.
If my life were a movie, it would be called . . . Boy Who Never Sleeps.
In my opinion, the best restaurant in Houston is . . . Ruggles Green.
The coolest store in Houston is . . . the Apple Store.
The sports team(s) I root for is/are . . . the Texans and Houston Cougars.
My decade for music is the 90’s and my favorite song is . . . “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
My favorite quote is . . . “We make a living by what we get, but we make a difference by
what we give.”
Most AABA members probably don’t know that I . . . wake up at 3pm on Sundays.
You forgot to ask me about . . . the coolest place I have ever been. Australia!
Many thanks to our 2012-2013 Major Underwriters!
Diamond Dragon Underwriters
Platinum Dragon Underwriter
Gold Dragon Underwriters
The welcomes the following new and renewing members!
Marrick Armstrong, Adams and Reese LLP Ngoc-Linh Bui Audrey Chang, Greenberg Traurig, LLP Kathy Cheng, Cheng Copeland, PLLC Nile Copeland, Cheng Copeland, PLLC Romulo Diaz, Law Office of Romulo B. Diaz, PLLC
Henry Garrana, Garrana Tran, LLP Zack S. Huang, Lin & Valdez, LLP Chun Kuo, Hewlett Packard Company Jennifer Lin Ryan Nayar, Locke Lord LLP Ba Nguyen, Levinthal Wilkins & Nguyen PLLC Melody Wang, University of Houston Law Center
It’s that time of year again… Renew your membership!
The AABA is accepting membership applications and renewals for 2012!
You may apply for membership online at www.aabahouston.com
or by completing and submitting the attached form and dues.
If you haven’t already applied for membership to the AABA, then you are missing out on all the benefits
of membership. Members of the AABA receive significant discounts to all AABA events, as well as
invitations to exclusive members-only seminars and programs such as the annual Corporate Counsel
Dinner and inclusion in the Attorney Profiles Directory. Become an AABA member today, and gain
access to all of the networking, career enhancement, mentorship, and volunteer opportunities and
resources that the AABA has to offer!
Another terrific benefit of AABA membership is automatic membership in the National Asian Pacific
American Bar Association (“NAPABA”).
Asian American Bar Association of Houston
www.aabahouston.com 2012 Membership Application/Renewal
$50 General Member $25 Public Interest Attorney • Government Attorney • Judge • Solo Practitioner $0 Law Student • Retired Attorney • Transitional Attorney*
Bar Number and Jurisdiction
Last Name First Name
Employer Address City State ZIP
Office # Home #
Fax # E-Mail
Area(s) of Practice
Law School and Graduation Year Language(s) Spoken Would you like to receive the AABA Newsletter by E-Mail? Yes No Would you like your business contact information published in the 2012 AABA Directory? Yes No By completing this membership application, I hereby consent to the receipt of notice of meeting through electronic means. Please give us any comments or programming suggestions you might have: Please indicate any committees on which you would be interested in serving:
Gala Fundraising Programs Social/Networking Community Relations/Pro Bono
Solo and Small Firm Corporate Counsel Mentorship/Law School Relations
Make checks payable to AABA and submit application and fee to:
AABA ATTN: Membership
P.O. Box 1554 Houston, TX 77251
Send any inquiries concerning AABA membership to
[email protected], or contact Cindy Lin at (713) 220-4311.
*Transitional attorneys refer to those attorneys currently not employed.